James is a Senior Editor for GIVEMESPORT with over eight years of experience in the industry.

After graduating from the University of Southampton in 2016 with a degree in history, he joined the company as an Academy member in July 2017 and, after a short time working as a freelancer, was given a full-time role in February 2018. 

He primarily covers the biggest stories in the football world but is also comfortable reporting on a variety of other sports including darts, golf, Formula 1, tennis, boxing and athletics.

He has covered some massive events during his time at GIVEMESPORT, including numerous Champions League and World Cup finals, as well as the Olympics in 2020 and 2024.
 

The 2026/27 NBA season is on the horizon, and what a campaign we have in store.

The first game of the season will be contested on Tuesday, October 20, when Detroit Pistons welcome Boston Celtics to Little Caesars Arena.

The 30 teams that will compete all have the same goal: to be crowned NBA Champions. New York Knicks will be hoping to retain their title after winning their first NBA Championship since 1973 in June.

San Antonio Spurs will be looking to go one better after falling at the final hurdle to the Knicks, while LeBron James, considered one of the greatest players in NBA history, will be hoping for glory in his first season with Philadelphia 76ers.

Between now and April, each team will play 82 matches as they look to secure their spot in the playoffs. Ahead of the new campaign, GiveMeSport has asked ChatGPT to predict every team's final record.

Western Conference

It's predicted to be a very long season for Sacremento Kings. They are predicted to pick up just 20 wins, by far the least of any team in the NBA. New Orleans Pelicans won't fare too much better with an expected final record of 25-57.

Utah Jazz are expected to struggle, too, ending the season with just 29 wins. Also expected to miss out on the playoffs are Memphis Grizzlies (34-48) and LA Clippers (37-45).

The four Western Conference teams that will contest the play-in tournament between April 13-16 are Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.

Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James this season, but they are still expected to make the playoffs with ease, finishing the regular season with a record of 43-39.

Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are expected to finish fifth, fourth and third, respectively, while last year's Western Conference champions and NBA finalists, San Antonio Spurs, will finish with a 56-26 record, according to the Supercomputer.

Finishing with the best record in the Western Conference this season, according to the Supercomputer, is Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are expected to top the charts again despite picking up eight fewer wins this time round.

Eastern Conference

Washington Wizards were the worst team in the whole of the NBA last season, winning just 17 games over the entirety of the campaign. They will pick up 13 more wins this time round, per the Supercomputer, but they won't improve anywhere near enough to make the playoffs.

The Wizards won't be the worst team in the Eastern Conference this time round, though, as they are expected to finish the season with a better record than Brooklyn Nets (26-56) and Milwaukee Bucks (28-54).

Chicago Bulls, who were so dominant during the 1990s, have fallen on hard times. They are expected to miss the playoffs, as are Indiana Pacers.

The four Eastern Conference teams that will contest the play-in tournament next April are Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.

Toronto Raptors finished the 2025/26 season with a record of 46-36, and they're expected to do that again this time round. Philadelphia

76ers are predicted to win two more games than them over the course of the season.

Last season's Eastern Conference finalists, Cleveland Cavaliers, will be among the best teams again in the NBA in 2025/26, finishing with a record of 49-33.

Detriot Pistons and Boston Celtics will finish the campaign with 50 wins and 52 wins respectively, while the 2026 NBA Champions, New York Knicks, will have the best record (54-28) in the Eastern Conference, according to the Supercomputer.